As a tribute to "Take Back the Night" an event planned by the University groups AWAKE (All Women Attaining Knowledge and Enrichment) and NOW (National Organization of Women), the University Guide Service is giving historical tours entitled "How They Did It: A History of Women at The University" this week.
"Take Back the Night" is part of a week-long procession of events which aim to increase awareness within the student body and Charlottesville community about crimes such as sexual assault and dating violence, which culminates in a vigil held on the Downtown Mall. Continuing with the theme of the week, U-Guides are striving to highlight the important steps that women have taken in the past to insure equal educational opportunities here at the University with their historical tours.
Shannon Wendling, newly-elected vice-chair and scheduler for UGS, was one of the first UGS members to be trained to give the historical women's tour. The tour originally was formed from the efforts of two University alumni, Cerissa Cafasso and Kimberly Sirridge, in March 2002.
"These two students wanted to focus more on the issues surrounding women and the University," Wendling said. "They believed that the regular tours don't encompass enough about individual experiences at the University and initially wanted historical facts about women to be worked into the tours. However, now it's given as a separate tour once a year in honor of the work that goes into 'Take Back the Night.'"
The tour, contained within the boundaries of the Lawn, reflects on past times when the University was an all-male higher-learning institute. By interweaving historical aspects of the Lawn with relevant facts about women's struggles in their attempts to become members of the University community, Wendling said UGS is able to accomplish the goals it set out to fulfill while relating an important yet largely unknown perspective of University history to the students.
"Some information, like the fact that females could not attend U.Va until 1970, remains unknown to most students," Wendling said. "The historical tours are a wonderful way for students to realize the importance of women's roles here and in larger social issues. We also have a tour describing African American's experiences at the University, called the 'Slave to Scholar' tour, which was conceived at the same time as the women's tour."
Wendling said she believes the tours complement the events that embody the week-long awareness program because they focus on events that occurred on Grounds.
"The fact that cases concerning sexual assault and racial tension have arisen as a prevalent concern around Grounds makes the goals of this week very relevant to student life," Wendling said. "Although I am helping one of my friends organize the main event for this week, I feel that these tours are my real contribution to the events. Even though there are only four guides trained to give this tour at this time, we are working on expanding the participants. I'm excited and proud that I can be a part of it."
"How They Did It: A History of Women at The University" tours start at the steps of the Rotunda and will be given today and tomorrow at 2 p.m.
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